Our Team
Our Leadership
SCCEC is guided by leaders with deep roots in the community—people who have lived the stories they now support others through. Our team includes faith leaders, mental health professionals, organizers, mothers impacted by violence, youth mentors, and cultural healers.
Our Values In Action
- We lead with compassion, not judgment.
- We center lived experience in every decision and program.
- We honor faith traditions while welcoming all.
- We create environments where people feel seen and held.
Rev. Dr. Najuma Smith
Rev. Dr. Najuma Smith is the founder of the Southern California Community Empowerment Center (SCCEC), a faith-rooted and community-led organization that provides trauma-informed healing spaces, mental health education, and empowerment programs for individuals and families impacted by grief and systemic violence.
Read More About Rev. Dr. Najuma Smith
A nationally recognized leader in community healing, trauma recovery, and women’s empowerment, Rev. Dr. Smith also serves as the founding Pastor of Word of Encouragement Church and Assistant Director at USC’s Center for Religion and Civic Culture and The Murray Center. In each role, she bridges spirituality and mental wellness to help individuals and communities move from surviving to thriving.
A mother, survivor, and advocate, her work is shaped by deep lived experience. During the pandemic, she co-created Hope & Healing: Soul Sessions, a bi-weekly series blending spiritual reflection, mental health practices, and storytelling. Now in its fifth year, the program continues to provide vital support—especially within Black communities with limited access to mental health care.
Rev. Dr. Smith is a sought-after speaker on grief, resilience, women in ministry, mental wellness, and the role of the Black church in advancing community healing. Her work affirms that collective healing begins when people feel seen, supported, and empowered to rise together.
Angela Mull
Angela Mull is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and owner of Creating Beautiful Minds Family Therapy, a California based practice offering virtual services to clients in both California and Texas. Angela is dedicated to helping individuals and families break intergenerational cycles of trauma; a mission rooted in her own personal journey and lived experience.
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Outside of her clinical practice, Angela extends her therapeutic expertise beyond traditional settings. She leads support groups for churches and high schools, collaborates with non-profits to organize mental wellness initiatives, and actively participates in community symposiums to promote mental health awareness and education.
One of Angela’s favorite quotes is from Audre Lourde’. “…and that visibility which makes us most vulnerable is that which also is the source of our greatest strength.”
Angela understands that beginning a therapeutic journey can feel vulnerable, but she gently guides individuals toward discovering their inner strength and unlocking the superpowers within themselves.
One piece of advice Angela often shares with those struggling with their mental health is this: struggling is not a sign of weakness. “Life is in session for all of us,” she says, “so you are not alone, and it is ok to ask for help.
Gail Kennedy
Gail Kennedy is a committed leader who has dedicated her career and volunteer service to supporting education and faith-based community engagement in Los Angeles. She retired from the Los Angeles Unified School District after serving as Supervisor of Reprographic Services, where she designed classroom resources, testing materials, and essential documents that continue to support district operations today.
Read More About Gail Kennedy
Following retirement, Ms. Gail continued to share her skills by designing materials for local organizations and volunteering in after-school programs that help high school students develop life and career readiness. She also advanced faith-based civic engagement through the Cecil Murray Center for Community Engagement, connecting churches with partners and resources to better serve their communities.
Today, Ms. Gail remains deeply involved at Saint James AME Church, serving in leadership and finance roles and volunteering weekly to provide food and essential support to individuals experiencing homelessness and families facing food insecurity. Her steady, compassionate presence continues to make a meaningful impact within the church and the broader community.